The main problem is that, with 14 tracks and a running time of around an hour, it could have done with some editing to turn what is a flabby effort into a truly great record. Understandably, there's far more in the way of sombre material here – not always a bad thing, as in the case of powerfully moving opening track XIX – and when Slipknot do launch into the heavier likes of Custer and the menacing The Devil In I they sound great. 5: The Gray Chapter – dedicated to the late Paul Gray – is an uneven record. So, maybe we shouldn’t be too harsh on the fact that it's certainly not one of their best. Within two years of its release, bassist Paul Gray had passed away, and three years later drummer Joey Jordison was unceremoniously ousted from the band.Ĭoming in the aftermath of the genuine trauma that the band experienced at the start of the 2010’s, it’s an achievement that we got a fifth Slipknot album at all.

It’s unfortunate that All Hope Is Gone is the final recorded document showcasing the “classic” Slipknot line-up when it’s such a deeply flawed record. Hearing them in their embryonic form here is interesting, but there is very little in the way of evidence that Slipknot would go on to become a band to define a generation. Some songs, such as Only One and Tattered And Torn, went on to appear on their ‘proper’ self-titled 1999 debut. Is only really worth revisiting as an exercise in researching their early days. It showcasing a band very much in their infancy. The very first Slipknot album – essentially a demo – lacks Corey Taylor, Sid Wilson and Jim Root (the band features original singer Anders Colsefni, guitarists Donnie Steele and Josh Brainard, and no DJ).

The byrds albums ranked